lawmaria asked:
How can someone be an audience member for the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in June, 2007?
Kathryn
How can someone be an audience member for the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in June, 2007?
Kathryn
Archive for July, 2008
world series of poker?
Tuesday, July 29th, 2008When the 2007 World Series of Poker Starts?
Sunday, July 27th, 2008
How do I join the World Series of Poker?
Monday, July 21st, 2008
Bri asked:
I am really good at Texas Holdem.. I think I would do well in a tourny…
I am really good at Texas Holdem.. I think I would do well in a tourny…
How do I join or go about it??
Leslie
Are there continuous satellite tourneys for all the World Series of Poker events during WSOP (ie $1,500 events
Friday, July 18th, 2008
shakaj03 asked:
World Series of Poker Question regarding satellite tournaments. I’m interested in jumping in some satellite tournaments at the WSOP in a couple of weeks, trying to get into a $1,500 event, and don’t want to get out there and find out there aren’t any.
Jeanne
World Series of Poker Question regarding satellite tournaments. I’m interested in jumping in some satellite tournaments at the WSOP in a couple of weeks, trying to get into a $1,500 event, and don’t want to get out there and find out there aren’t any.
Jeanne
The Best Poker Players Of All Time
Saturday, July 12th, 2008
Adel Awwad asked:
The best of anything is a matter of opinion and perspective, and this is absolutely true when trying to decide who are the best poker players. This also has to be broken into tournament play, cash game play, and the type of poker game. Some poker players are great in certain games like Holdem and not so great in other games. According to what is said about Chip Reese, the great poker player, many professionals think he would be the choice, even though his WSOP wins are not as prolific as Brunson, Chan, and Hellmuth. However, Reese won three WSOP tournaments before his death in 2007. In 2006, Reese won the prestigious $50,000 Buy-in Horse Tournament at the WSOP. The Horse tournament is difficult to win, as it combines several poker games in one tournament. These are Holdem, Omaha, Razz, Seven-card Stud, and Seven-card Stud Hi Low. Reese’s long time friend, Doyle Brunson, considered him one of the best poker players he ever played against. That is high praise from a player many considered the Godfather of Poker. Brunson, Hellmuth, and Johnny Chan are considered the best when it comes to playing Holdem. Hellmuth has the most wins at the WSOP at this time with eleven wins all in Holdem.
The Poker Kid, Daniel Negreanu, after a failed try at Las Vegas poker when he was 21, has come on very strong in his play in TV tournaments like the WPT and other tournaments that were TV oriented. Negreanu is also considered a very tough cash game player, unlike Hellmuth who is considered an excellent Holdem tournament player, but an average cash game player. The top cash game players are supposedly happy to see him show up for the big cash games in Vegas.
T J Cloutier, another long time opponent and friend of Doyle Brunson, has long been considered one of the best players in the poker world. His consistency is amazing in showing up at final tables. His cash game prowess has always stood him in good stead. Like Brunson, he makes few mistakes, and players who win against him are usually just a shade luckier than he was in the tournament.
One of the long time faces at final tables is the player, Dan Harrington. He made the final table two years in a row against huge fields in the WSOP. That is a testament to his skill at playing tournament poker. In one website vote, he was voted the best player of the professionals.
Some of the recent winners of the WSOP main event have become money leaders, or very high on the list of earnings due to the huge 1st place prize money. However, few if any are considered the best poker player in the world at this time. It will take several years to see if these winners were a one trick player or have the real skill to get to final tables again.
The public has little knowledge of another group of players that are extremely good players. These are the players that take a seat in some of the biggest cash games in the world. Las Vegas has long been the place to play if a player wanted to play in a poker game which had the highest stakes Almost every day, you can see some of the best cash game players play in places like the Rio, the Bellagio, or the Venetian casino. These games are not only for solid players, but also for players with ample resources to play in a game where a bad day could be well over a $100,000 loss. This play not only takes money to play, but the courage to take that level of risk on the turn of a card. These players have to live with the risk that a better hand can ***** a solid hand. Many of these player-participants are only known to the cash players and are rarely seen on TV. The only place some of them have been seen is playing in the High Stakes Poker program that is now on TV. But when you watch their play, you can easily see that they do not play bad hands. It is also obvious that they are not prone to making playing mistakes or bad calls. Some of these players cannot afford to play in tournaments, as they would lose too much time and would make less money than they do in cash games. The only time you will see them is in a game like High Stakes Poker, or in a big cash game in a casino. Yet, several of them could be rated in the running for best poker player. Their play warrants it as well as their annual winnings.
Conclusions
The best poker players of all time come down to personal choice and perception. Most of the well-known names in the current poker scene have shown they know how to play very well. Current old timers remember some of the old time players as the best they ever played against. The problem is most people never saw them play. Stu Unger was a kid when he first won the WSOP two years in a row. His play was the best, say the players who tried to beat him. Unfortunately for him, he was a drug addict and addicted to other forms of gambling like sports betting and horses. He disappeared from play after his second win, and when he came back for a third try, he won again. Three tries in the WSOP and three wins. That is an amazing record. The question that still goes unanswered is how good would he have been if he had taken care of himself and lived a less wild life. His talent was at a level that most players only dream about. His name has to be considered when discussing the best poker players. His mental skills were genius level as was his card playing skill. His weakness was his drug addiction. Make your own choice as to the best poker player. Your pick is as good as most.
Gloria
The best of anything is a matter of opinion and perspective, and this is absolutely true when trying to decide who are the best poker players. This also has to be broken into tournament play, cash game play, and the type of poker game. Some poker players are great in certain games like Holdem and not so great in other games. According to what is said about Chip Reese, the great poker player, many professionals think he would be the choice, even though his WSOP wins are not as prolific as Brunson, Chan, and Hellmuth. However, Reese won three WSOP tournaments before his death in 2007. In 2006, Reese won the prestigious $50,000 Buy-in Horse Tournament at the WSOP. The Horse tournament is difficult to win, as it combines several poker games in one tournament. These are Holdem, Omaha, Razz, Seven-card Stud, and Seven-card Stud Hi Low. Reese’s long time friend, Doyle Brunson, considered him one of the best poker players he ever played against. That is high praise from a player many considered the Godfather of Poker. Brunson, Hellmuth, and Johnny Chan are considered the best when it comes to playing Holdem. Hellmuth has the most wins at the WSOP at this time with eleven wins all in Holdem.
The Poker Kid, Daniel Negreanu, after a failed try at Las Vegas poker when he was 21, has come on very strong in his play in TV tournaments like the WPT and other tournaments that were TV oriented. Negreanu is also considered a very tough cash game player, unlike Hellmuth who is considered an excellent Holdem tournament player, but an average cash game player. The top cash game players are supposedly happy to see him show up for the big cash games in Vegas.
T J Cloutier, another long time opponent and friend of Doyle Brunson, has long been considered one of the best players in the poker world. His consistency is amazing in showing up at final tables. His cash game prowess has always stood him in good stead. Like Brunson, he makes few mistakes, and players who win against him are usually just a shade luckier than he was in the tournament.
One of the long time faces at final tables is the player, Dan Harrington. He made the final table two years in a row against huge fields in the WSOP. That is a testament to his skill at playing tournament poker. In one website vote, he was voted the best player of the professionals.
Some of the recent winners of the WSOP main event have become money leaders, or very high on the list of earnings due to the huge 1st place prize money. However, few if any are considered the best poker player in the world at this time. It will take several years to see if these winners were a one trick player or have the real skill to get to final tables again.
The public has little knowledge of another group of players that are extremely good players. These are the players that take a seat in some of the biggest cash games in the world. Las Vegas has long been the place to play if a player wanted to play in a poker game which had the highest stakes Almost every day, you can see some of the best cash game players play in places like the Rio, the Bellagio, or the Venetian casino. These games are not only for solid players, but also for players with ample resources to play in a game where a bad day could be well over a $100,000 loss. This play not only takes money to play, but the courage to take that level of risk on the turn of a card. These players have to live with the risk that a better hand can ***** a solid hand. Many of these player-participants are only known to the cash players and are rarely seen on TV. The only place some of them have been seen is playing in the High Stakes Poker program that is now on TV. But when you watch their play, you can easily see that they do not play bad hands. It is also obvious that they are not prone to making playing mistakes or bad calls. Some of these players cannot afford to play in tournaments, as they would lose too much time and would make less money than they do in cash games. The only time you will see them is in a game like High Stakes Poker, or in a big cash game in a casino. Yet, several of them could be rated in the running for best poker player. Their play warrants it as well as their annual winnings.
Conclusions
The best poker players of all time come down to personal choice and perception. Most of the well-known names in the current poker scene have shown they know how to play very well. Current old timers remember some of the old time players as the best they ever played against. The problem is most people never saw them play. Stu Unger was a kid when he first won the WSOP two years in a row. His play was the best, say the players who tried to beat him. Unfortunately for him, he was a drug addict and addicted to other forms of gambling like sports betting and horses. He disappeared from play after his second win, and when he came back for a third try, he won again. Three tries in the WSOP and three wins. That is an amazing record. The question that still goes unanswered is how good would he have been if he had taken care of himself and lived a less wild life. His talent was at a level that most players only dream about. His name has to be considered when discussing the best poker players. His mental skills were genius level as was his card playing skill. His weakness was his drug addiction. Make your own choice as to the best poker player. Your pick is as good as most.
Gloria
World Series of Poker Main Event?
Friday, July 11th, 2008
badfish asked:
When does the World Series of Poker Main Event for 2007 start? Who do you think will win? A “pro” or a rookie? I’ll go pro. Maybe Ivey.
Natalie
When does the World Series of Poker Main Event for 2007 start? Who do you think will win? A “pro” or a rookie? I’ll go pro. Maybe Ivey.
Natalie
Hachem Avoids Paying Taxes on WSOP Winnings
Thursday, July 10th, 2008
Jason Hahn asked:
Joe Hachem is still riding the fortunate wave that began for him about seven months ago in July of 2005.
Under Australian law, a citizen does not have to pay income tax on any money earned from pursuing a hobby. And, as luck would have it, Hachem was not a professional poker player at the time of his big win Main Event win, so he does not have to pay any income tax on the $7.5 million he won at the World Series of Poker held in 2005.
Hachem’s lawyer, Peter Donovan, said in a statement that “As a result of this finding, the poker winnings were classified as income derived from a hobby, and thus not subject to Australian tax.”
The Melbourne resident conquered a record field of 5,619 players on his way to the $7.5 million purse at last year’s World Series of Poker Main Event.
Other big names participating in the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event included Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Mike Matusow, and Sam Farha.
The World Series of Poker is held annually. Circuit tournaments are held outside of Las Vegas in Atlantic City, but the vast majority of the events are in Las Vegas. Each tournament’s winner receives a cash prize as well as a bracelet. The Main Event is for the popular poker game called Texas Hold ‘Em, while other tournaments during the World Series of Poker include other poker games including Omaha and 7 Card Stud.
The buy-in for the Main Event is $10,000. Many participants qualified for the tournament by winning online tournaments, including the previous two winners Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer.
Hachem was born on November 3, 1966 in Lebanon, and is now a representative for PokerStars, which is an online poker service.
Poker
Josephine
Joe Hachem is still riding the fortunate wave that began for him about seven months ago in July of 2005.
Under Australian law, a citizen does not have to pay income tax on any money earned from pursuing a hobby. And, as luck would have it, Hachem was not a professional poker player at the time of his big win Main Event win, so he does not have to pay any income tax on the $7.5 million he won at the World Series of Poker held in 2005.
Hachem’s lawyer, Peter Donovan, said in a statement that “As a result of this finding, the poker winnings were classified as income derived from a hobby, and thus not subject to Australian tax.”
The Melbourne resident conquered a record field of 5,619 players on his way to the $7.5 million purse at last year’s World Series of Poker Main Event.
Other big names participating in the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event included Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Mike Matusow, and Sam Farha.
The World Series of Poker is held annually. Circuit tournaments are held outside of Las Vegas in Atlantic City, but the vast majority of the events are in Las Vegas. Each tournament’s winner receives a cash prize as well as a bracelet. The Main Event is for the popular poker game called Texas Hold ‘Em, while other tournaments during the World Series of Poker include other poker games including Omaha and 7 Card Stud.
The buy-in for the Main Event is $10,000. Many participants qualified for the tournament by winning online tournaments, including the previous two winners Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer.
Hachem was born on November 3, 1966 in Lebanon, and is now a representative for PokerStars, which is an online poker service.
Poker
Josephine
Poker Ethics not Optional
Saturday, July 5th, 2008
M.J. Morgan asked:
As evidenced in my previous article series Poker Struck by Tragedy, poker is still haunted by crime – shootings, robberies and vengeance cases are a reality in underground poker rooms, and home games. As much as police and the law enforcement authorities want to erase poker along with other gambling-related activities from our culture by focusing on the criminal acts behind them, the World Poker Association has made an important effort to clean poker’s reputation and players’ conduct with the creation of an Ethics Code, mandatory for every member of the association.
Even though poker still enjoys the dark, tough, mob-like imagery linked to smoky rooms, threatening-looking players and bold nicknames, the World Poker Association (WPA) has made an effort to reform mainstream poker, using its dark image as mere marketing strategy.
Since the need for better behavior among poker players has become a survival move for the poker community, an Ethics Code has been created for every member of the World Poker Association, which will help not only separate criminal players from serious ones, but also protect the reputation of poker in the future.
The code has 5 sections, each with more than three clauses which detail the principles true to a serious poker player.
Section I: General Provisions. This section contains 9 clauses, which in general terms commit players to: play poker with strict professionalism, respect each player’s poker hand and their autonomous decision on how to play it, respect the rules of each game players are involved with, treat everybody at the poker venue with courtesy, refrain from expressing any offensive language or gestures, and show consideration toward any people with disabilities at the venues.
Section II: Relationships among Players. The section emphasizes on the respect players must show one another, the avoidance of any bullying at the tables or any visible judgments towards player’s ethnicity, cultural differences, and hand privacy.
Section III: Relationships between Players and Dealers. This section details the rules of conduct concerning dealers, in which players must agree to be completely professional and respectful towards the requests and demands of dealers and when asking dealers about any decision they may make; players should also refrain from any offensive language or gesturing towards dealers. In addition, this section commands dealers to treat players equally and respectfully and to apply rules consistently throughout the game, as well as to avoid any type of controversy among players and to report any inappropriate conduct at the table to a supervisor.
Section IV: Player-Management Relationship. This section talks about the importance to maintain a respectful attitude towards the casino or tournament management, keeping a civil demeanor in case of a disagreement or incident. Players are also expected to refrain from any offensive slurs or comments against any of the management personnel and to report formally any incidents to the tournament director.
Section V: External Relationships. This section urges players to make an effort for restoring the good name and reputation of the poker community, using professionalism and respect as main assets for obtaining the respect of the outside world.
To read the complete WPA Ethics Code, please visit
pokertournamentwatch.com/live-poker-tournaments/playing-poker-ethically.htm
As much as the WPA wants all their players to behave like honorable citizens while playing poker, one can only wonder how that is going to eliminate the bad habits of online and underground poker. Are WPA members going to honor the ethics code while playing online or vent frustrations that cannot be expressed in public games? Are WPA members going to respect the code when they play at home or at underground venues? And is this code going to make a real difference in how the world views poker if only WPA members stick to the rules but the remaining amateur players continue to give poker a bad name?
From a realistic point of view, there are countless articles and books stressing on the importance of behaving ethically at the table, not only for maintaining good energy flow throughout a game but also to do better in your game and aim to win more money. The phrase “you can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar” could not be truer in this case. However, there are also many articles accounting how players still refuse to apply the basic rules of poker etiquette and continue to annoy fellow players and viewers at the table; an obvious example: Phil Helmuth. Phil has said many times people love to see his brat side when playing, and his sponsors have made sure he always pleases the audience with a classic tantrum. Since being a big baby is Hellmuth’s signature behaviour… how is his image going to adjust to the new mandatory WPA rules? We can’t help but put the code to the test and see how much it benefits everybody in poker.
Eileen
As evidenced in my previous article series Poker Struck by Tragedy, poker is still haunted by crime – shootings, robberies and vengeance cases are a reality in underground poker rooms, and home games. As much as police and the law enforcement authorities want to erase poker along with other gambling-related activities from our culture by focusing on the criminal acts behind them, the World Poker Association has made an important effort to clean poker’s reputation and players’ conduct with the creation of an Ethics Code, mandatory for every member of the association.
Even though poker still enjoys the dark, tough, mob-like imagery linked to smoky rooms, threatening-looking players and bold nicknames, the World Poker Association (WPA) has made an effort to reform mainstream poker, using its dark image as mere marketing strategy.
Since the need for better behavior among poker players has become a survival move for the poker community, an Ethics Code has been created for every member of the World Poker Association, which will help not only separate criminal players from serious ones, but also protect the reputation of poker in the future.
The code has 5 sections, each with more than three clauses which detail the principles true to a serious poker player.
Section I: General Provisions. This section contains 9 clauses, which in general terms commit players to: play poker with strict professionalism, respect each player’s poker hand and their autonomous decision on how to play it, respect the rules of each game players are involved with, treat everybody at the poker venue with courtesy, refrain from expressing any offensive language or gestures, and show consideration toward any people with disabilities at the venues.
Section II: Relationships among Players. The section emphasizes on the respect players must show one another, the avoidance of any bullying at the tables or any visible judgments towards player’s ethnicity, cultural differences, and hand privacy.
Section III: Relationships between Players and Dealers. This section details the rules of conduct concerning dealers, in which players must agree to be completely professional and respectful towards the requests and demands of dealers and when asking dealers about any decision they may make; players should also refrain from any offensive language or gesturing towards dealers. In addition, this section commands dealers to treat players equally and respectfully and to apply rules consistently throughout the game, as well as to avoid any type of controversy among players and to report any inappropriate conduct at the table to a supervisor.
Section IV: Player-Management Relationship. This section talks about the importance to maintain a respectful attitude towards the casino or tournament management, keeping a civil demeanor in case of a disagreement or incident. Players are also expected to refrain from any offensive slurs or comments against any of the management personnel and to report formally any incidents to the tournament director.
Section V: External Relationships. This section urges players to make an effort for restoring the good name and reputation of the poker community, using professionalism and respect as main assets for obtaining the respect of the outside world.
To read the complete WPA Ethics Code, please visit
pokertournamentwatch.com/live-poker-tournaments/playing-poker-ethically.htm
As much as the WPA wants all their players to behave like honorable citizens while playing poker, one can only wonder how that is going to eliminate the bad habits of online and underground poker. Are WPA members going to honor the ethics code while playing online or vent frustrations that cannot be expressed in public games? Are WPA members going to respect the code when they play at home or at underground venues? And is this code going to make a real difference in how the world views poker if only WPA members stick to the rules but the remaining amateur players continue to give poker a bad name?
From a realistic point of view, there are countless articles and books stressing on the importance of behaving ethically at the table, not only for maintaining good energy flow throughout a game but also to do better in your game and aim to win more money. The phrase “you can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar” could not be truer in this case. However, there are also many articles accounting how players still refuse to apply the basic rules of poker etiquette and continue to annoy fellow players and viewers at the table; an obvious example: Phil Helmuth. Phil has said many times people love to see his brat side when playing, and his sponsors have made sure he always pleases the audience with a classic tantrum. Since being a big baby is Hellmuth’s signature behaviour… how is his image going to adjust to the new mandatory WPA rules? We can’t help but put the code to the test and see how much it benefits everybody in poker.
Eileen
How to Become a Professional Poker Player
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
Ling Tong asked:
According to expert poker players, you cannot take lessons to know how to become a professional poker player. The key to becoming a professional is to practice, practice, practice. In the words of Michael Graz, a professional poker player, in order to reach this stage you have to eat, drink, sleep, live and breathe poker. It will occupy every waking moment. You must have a love for the game and if you don like losing, then you will not be a successful player because even the great ones have losses. There is a vast difference in being a good poker player against your friends and playing against those who are experts in the field. Take a vacation to Las Vegas and play against some professional players to see how well your skills and strategies stack up against theirs.
The best way to get started in playing poker is to start playing online. There are many free sites where it won cost you anything to play. This way you learn the rules of the games and start to develop your own repertoire of strategies. One thing it will be difficult for you to learn online is how to read your opponents and get to recognize some of their poker tells because you won be able to see their faces. As you gain more confidence with your wins in online poker, you can graduate to playing poker for real money.
This does not have to be large amounts of money because there are many one and two dollar games. You may be able to play all day for $20. Then as you start to accumulate money when you win several pots, you are getting started on your way to becoming a professional player. Many online tournaments offer you a chance to win your way into a tournament which ordinarily would cost you tens of thousands of dollars in entry fees. This is the ultimate chance to play against the big boys of poker.
Visit a casino and play poker against the regulars. It does not have to be a daily event, if you don want to engage in it as deeply in the beginning. As you win more and more games, you start to develop a bankroll for yourself and gain a reputation in the poker world. You can take part in small local competitions as a way of building up your confidence and getting to play against a wide variety of opponents. Most casinos have tournaments where they invite some big names in poker to play and these games are not as expensive to get into as the world series games.
The most consistent way of becoming a professional player is to play as many cash games as you can. If you are a good player, you can expect to win about 75% of the games. Do not become impatient when you do hit a losing streak because this will only take your focus off your game and cause you to make costly mistakes.
Amanda
According to expert poker players, you cannot take lessons to know how to become a professional poker player. The key to becoming a professional is to practice, practice, practice. In the words of Michael Graz, a professional poker player, in order to reach this stage you have to eat, drink, sleep, live and breathe poker. It will occupy every waking moment. You must have a love for the game and if you don like losing, then you will not be a successful player because even the great ones have losses. There is a vast difference in being a good poker player against your friends and playing against those who are experts in the field. Take a vacation to Las Vegas and play against some professional players to see how well your skills and strategies stack up against theirs.
The best way to get started in playing poker is to start playing online. There are many free sites where it won cost you anything to play. This way you learn the rules of the games and start to develop your own repertoire of strategies. One thing it will be difficult for you to learn online is how to read your opponents and get to recognize some of their poker tells because you won be able to see their faces. As you gain more confidence with your wins in online poker, you can graduate to playing poker for real money.
This does not have to be large amounts of money because there are many one and two dollar games. You may be able to play all day for $20. Then as you start to accumulate money when you win several pots, you are getting started on your way to becoming a professional player. Many online tournaments offer you a chance to win your way into a tournament which ordinarily would cost you tens of thousands of dollars in entry fees. This is the ultimate chance to play against the big boys of poker.
Visit a casino and play poker against the regulars. It does not have to be a daily event, if you don want to engage in it as deeply in the beginning. As you win more and more games, you start to develop a bankroll for yourself and gain a reputation in the poker world. You can take part in small local competitions as a way of building up your confidence and getting to play against a wide variety of opponents. Most casinos have tournaments where they invite some big names in poker to play and these games are not as expensive to get into as the world series games.
The most consistent way of becoming a professional player is to play as many cash games as you can. If you are a good player, you can expect to win about 75% of the games. Do not become impatient when you do hit a losing streak because this will only take your focus off your game and cause you to make costly mistakes.
Amanda
WSOP. do you have to show your cards to the camera?
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
Beer Me asked:
you would think if you are a pro and your on espn all the time showing your tells that people would review the tapes and crush you…the odds of a person like me going to the fetured table are slim but for a pro ther are not… do you have to show your cards to the camera?
Georgia
you would think if you are a pro and your on espn all the time showing your tells that people would review the tapes and crush you…the odds of a person like me going to the fetured table are slim but for a pro ther are not… do you have to show your cards to the camera?
Georgia
